The present invention relates to electronic assemblies. More specifically, the invention relates to techniques for providing air flow through electronic assemblies for cooling electronic components therein.
Most modern electronics equipment contains electronic components, such as electronic cards, mounted in a chassis (also referred to as “shelf”). The chassis is generally enclosed, with a front access door, side walls and a backplane. The chassis is enclosed to prevent stray material from entering the casing and damaging the electronic components. Additionally, the chassis prevents stray emission of electromagnetic energy.
The electronic components housed within the chassis often generate heat during operation. If the temperature within the chassis is allowed to raise unchecked, the electronic components may lose their effectiveness or become irreparably damaged. Thus, it is desirable to provide for the cooling of electronic components within the chassis.
Typically, the electronic components are cooled using air that is forced into the chassis and made to flow over the components. Fan trays can be employed to force the air through the chassis. For example, in a conventional push-pull air flow system, a fan tray is positioned at a bottom part of the chassis within an inlet opening while a second fan tray is positioned at the top part of the chassis with an exhaust opening. Thus, air flows through a single flow channel through the chassis to cool the electronic components. Unfortunately, this configuration can require too much valuable space for cooling, which could otherwise be used for electronic components or cable routing.
An innovative air flow system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,148, which is hereby incorporated by referenced. As described therein, push-pull fans can be utilized to move air through two flow channels within the chassis. A divider mechanism is coupled to each electronic component in order to define the flow channels. Although this air flow system has achieved tremendous success, it would be still beneficial to have additional innovative techniques for air flow systems.